James Abercrombie

James Abercrombie (1706-23 April 1781) was the commander-in-chief of the British Army from 1757 to 1758, succeeding John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun and preceding Jeffery Amherst. Abercrombie commanded the British at the Battle of Fort Carillon in 1758, where the British suffered heavy losses.

Biography
James Abercrombie was born in 1706 in Glassaugh, Banffshire, Scotland to a wealthy family, and he entered the 25th Regiment of Foot as an ensign at the age of eleven. In 1746, he became a Colonel of the British Army and fought in Flanders during the War of the Austrian Succession. Abercrombie became a Major-General in 1756, serving as second in command to commander-in-chief John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun. In December 1757, he succeeded Loudoun in this post, and he led an attack against Fort Carillon (Fort Ticonderoga) with 15,000 troops. He lost his second-in-command George Howe in the battle, and he launched a costly attack that led to a disaster for the British. Abercrombie was recalled to England in September 1758, although in 1772 he was promoted to General. Abercrombie became a member of parliament, and he died at the age of 75 in 1781.